Brassiere



V. I. BECKER Nov. 15, 1955 BRASSIERE Filed May 20. 1954 nl-l INVENTOR Vida? I BeVZer I United 'pStates Patent BRASSIERE- Victor I. Becker, Los Angeles', Calif. Application May 20, 1954, Serial No. 431,220

2 Claims. (Cl. 2-42) This invention relates to brassieres, and has for its primary object the provision of a garment of this character which will be so designed that the same will possess certain advantages to be hereinafter pointed out.

In my Patent No. 2,508,703 is shown a brassiere in which a plurality of lines of stitching are arranged in the cup portions of the garment, with such lines encircling the apex of the cup and with one end of each line of stitching starting at the upper edge of the breast cup and having its opposite end located at the lower end of the cup and to one side of the center line of the cup. In the brassiere of the present construction, stitching of this general kind is employed, but the same is arranged in a manner different from that disclosed in the above patent, in that the present stitching has the portions which extend across one another disposed in the lower portion of the brassiere only and to the outer side of the center line of the cup, whereby this criss-cross of stitching in the location above described not only holds the lower portion of the bust from sagging but resists lateral spread. In combination with the stitching arranged as above described a lamination or reinforcement of a relatively heavy material in cup formation is located in the lower portion of each cup so that this area of the cup is not only held in cup formation but the formation of wrinkles therein is effectively prevented.

It is therefore one of the objects of the invention to provide in a brassiere, an arrangement which will materially support the busts; which will achieve more definite separation between them and to maintain the garment smooth and wrinkleless over the body.

With these and other objects to be hereinafter set forth in view, I have devised the arrangement of parts to be described and more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein an illustrative embodiment of the invention is disclosed,

Fig. l is a front elevational view of a brassiere constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a face view of the lamination or insert;

Fig. 3 is a view of one of the bust cups with a portion broken away to disclose construction and with much of the stitching omitted to facilitate illustration, and

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view through one of the breast cups.

Referring to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawing, 1 indicates generally the body of the brassiere. It is provided with the conventional flap portions 16, one of which carries the elastic strip bearing hooks 21. The other flap 16 carries the eyelet-bearing strip 22. The two breast cups are indicated respectively at 2 and 3, and in the form shown, each of these cups consists of one or more relatively thin layers of outer fabric 4, reinforced for a portion of the area of each cup with a heavier and stifler reinforcing fabric indicated at 5. Each of the cups is formed with the transverse seam indicated at 6, the same designating substantially the 2,723,397 Patented Nov. 15, 1955 transverse center of the breast, and a vertical center seam 7 extends downwardly from the seam 6 to the lower edge 8 of the garment, These seams form the materials of the cup into the required cup shape.

The reinforcing element or lamination 5 for each of the cups and which is secured over the inner face of the outer fabric 4, is disclosed in Fig. 2 and the same consists of a relatively heavy sheet material which will not wrinkle, and will tend to maintain the lower half of the cup, and in which area it is located, in cupped formation. This reinforcement member has an arcuate segment 9 located in the portion of each cup that is adjacent to the center line of the body, and the curve of this segmental section closely follows the outline of the bust and defines separation between the breasts. The portion of the reinforcement indicated at 10 and located to one side of the segmental section 9, is of a length to enable it to extend down below the bust and to the lower edge of the garment. In this area of reinforcement a certain degree of stiffness is imparted through the medium of stitching to be described. The lower portion of the area 10 of the reinforcing element 5, extending below the bust and being stiffened by the stitching not only prevents sagging or spread of the busts but prevents wrinkling of that part of each bust cup that is located below the bust. It will be noted that the reinforcing elements 5 have their upper edges 11 terminating co-extensively with the transverse center seam 6 and are, in fact, secured along that line by the said seam.

The circular stitching extending throughout the cups 2 and 3 consists of a plurality of substantially parallel, closely-spaced lines of stitching 12 defining a plurality of concentric circles around the central point 13 of each breast cup and which constitutes substantially the central point of the circles of stitching. Each of the lines of stitching 12 has one termination 14 at the vertical seam 15 located between the breast cup and the rear flap 16 of the garment. The opposite ends 17 of the lines of stitching terminate at the lower edge 8 of the garment and at the lower end of the breast cup. This arrangement is such that the lines of stitching 12 co-operates in defining a reinforced circular area in the central part of the cup and from which tangential extensions crisscross one another in that part of the cup indicated at 19 and which is located in the strongly-reinforced area of the cup below the transverse center line of the cup and to the outer side of the vertical center line thereof.

Through this arrangement, a strongly-reinforced and stiffened area is provided in each cup in the lower and outer part of the cup and with the criss-crossing of the stitching in the outer portion of the lower part of the cup. The tendency of the bust to sag and spread laterally is therefore strongly resisted by this arrangement of lamination and cross-stitching.

The employment of the relatively stiff wrinkleless material in the lower half of the cup, with this reinforcement or lamination in cupped form and located at the lower portion of the bust, coupled with the reinforcing stitches arranged through that part of the reinforcement wherein extraordinary reinforcement and stiffness is required, results in improved supporting results.

While I have herein shown one embodiment of the invention, it is obvious that various changes may be made Without departing from the spirit of the invention. For

example, while the lines of stitching extending through the breast cups are shown to be equally spaced apart, the spacing of these lines of stitching might be varied; the general shape and construction of the breast cups might also be materially changed and other changes made, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

What I claim is:

1. A brassiere having a breast cup provided with a transverse horizontal seam extending completely across and defining substantially the transverse horizontal center line of the cup, the cup having an outer fabric and a thicker inner reinforcing layer, said inner layer being confined to the lower portion of the cup below the transverse center line thereof, and spaced lines of stitching encircling the apex of the cup, each line of stitching starting at an outer side edge of the cup and having its opposite end terminating at the lower edge of the cup, the lines of stitching crossing one another only in an area of the cup located below the transverse center line and to the outer side of the vertical center line of the cup.

2. A brassiere as provided for in claim 1, with the stitching extending through only the outer layer in the upper portion of the cup and through the inner and outer layers in that portion of the cup which is situated below the transverse horizontal center line of the same.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

